Spek to Loadholt in '09 draft redux

[BoulderSooner79]

Don Banks would move Phil all the way up to #6 overall if the draft were to be redone today. Go, Phil !

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/don_banks/12/15/redraft/index.html

[rawlingsHOH]

He was vastly underrated at OU.

He committed a few false starts in the Alamo Dome against Mizzou and got a terrible rep. Got whipped by Orakpo (who didn't?) for a sack against Texas and was villified.

[ouleaf]

I was just reading that article actually. Phil has played pretty well all season long. Helps that he was able to start right away and that he is playing for a good team. Will definitely be a lock for the Rookie Team this year.

[stoops the eternal pimp]

Phil at RT >>>>>> Phil at LT

[rawlingsHOH]

Phil at RT >>>>>> Phil at LT
At the pro level, sure.

At the college level, Phil gave Sam ALL FREAKING DAY to throw the ball at LT. So underrated.

[stoops the eternal pimp]

Phil struggled at LT with smaller faster DE's such as what WV, TCU and a few others brought but he was good against the big boys..Calais Campbell, etc

[jkm, the stolen pifwafwi]

kindle too

[badger]

Drafting a quarterback or a running back or a wide receiver might get you a few more jersey sales or butts in seats short-term.

Drafting a solid offensive or defensive lineman will get you a reliable player that will last longer in the league than most of the jersey sellers.

[SoonerShay]

Phil struggled at LT with smaller faster DE's such as what WV, TCU and a few others brought but he was good against the big boys..Calais Campbell, etc

Sorry but what? Jerry Hughes is an elite level D-end and obviously so is Orakpo. WVU has big D-ends, they run a 3-4 scheme. He got beat pretty bad by a safety from WVU though, which isn't the same thing.

He was fine against Connor Barwin from Cincy, who went in the 2nd round. He was fine against Brandon Williams, who was the leading sacker in the BIG12 last year. Styker Sulak who was 3rd in the BIG12 last year.

So really all your saying is he struggled with the really really good D-ends, which makes sense. If he didn't struggle with them they wouldn't be good.

[BoulderSooner79]

Drafting a quarterback or a running back or a wide receiver might get you a few more jersey sales or butts in seats short-term.

Drafting a solid offensive or defensive lineman will get you a reliable player that will last longer in the league than most of the jersey sellers.

Badger, why do you assume Phil won't sell jerseys? Do you have something against purple? (oh, wait.... sorry :D)

[rawlingsHOH]

Phil struggled at LT with smaller faster DE's such as what WV, TCU and a few others brought but he was good against the big boys..Calais Campbell, etc
Sounds like draftnik myth.

Loadholt struggled against good players; big, strong and fast guys alike. And by "struggled", I mean, held his own. As the battle against Orakpo was at least a draw. He dominated him for much of the game.

The WVU DE, Johnny Dingle, was a big 5-technique dude, a 5.0 40 guy. We got outschemed and our ENTIRE OL looked unprepared for the complexed WVU 3-3 blitz package. That was Loadholt's worst game of his career.

And regarding TCU, he played great in pass protection that night, slowing down one of the best pass (speed) rushers in the country, Jerry Hughes. Struggled in the run game because of the overloaded, 44, front. If we would have kept throwing, we score 50. But the staff wanted to shut it down, run out the clock, and limit the hits on Bradford, as they knew how devastating the TCU rush could be.

Another speed rusher, Conor Barwin from Cincy, was the 2nd fastest DE at the combine, and was totally dominated by Load.

I'm the least bit surprised that everybody's all-american, Duke Robinson, has yet to see the NFL field, while Loadholt is starting for one of the best teams in the league. Put on the Florida tape!

[rawlingsHOH]

In summary, Loadholt has easily been the best LT at Oklahoma since the Switzer era.

[Eielson]

Yeah, I bet Jason Smith would fall completely out of the first round. :rolleyes: